1. Field
This invention is in the field of visual guides to aid in the parking of vehicles.
2. State of the Art
Vehicles manufactured today are expensive; parts are expensive. Damage to seemingly insignificant parts can be costly as compared to several years ago. Many expenses are incurred by so-called xe2x80x9cfender-benderxe2x80x9d accidents. Even a small slip while parking a vehicle can be very costly.
To avoid this problem, there are various devices which serve as a visual aid to drivers while parking their vehicles.
Some prior art provide corner devices for visual sighting. Kuroda, U.S. Pat. No. 4,755,791, is a corner pole device that automatically expands or contracts upon detection of change of speed of the vehicle. The device is used while parking a vehicle when traveling at a low rate of speed. Bores, U.S. Pat. No. 3,858,924, is another device attached to the front corner bumper of a vehicle permitting the driver to be aware of the positions of the corners of bumpers when driving or parking a vehicle.
Other devices in the prior art are attached to and mounted on the headlight of a vehicle in order to provide for visual detection. Stahl, U.S. Pat. No. 2,871,814, Greenfield, U.S. Pat. No. 2,753,439, and Nitsberg, U.S. Pat. No. 2,672,841, are all devices which attach to and mount on a headlight of a vehicle to serves as a visual guide to the location of the fender while the driver is operating a vehicle.
Grossman, U.S. Pat. No. 3,563,200, discloses a clip attached to the edge of a rear trunk. A rod extending upward from the clip is used to facilitate visual location by the driver of the rearward position of the vehicle.
Miller, U.S. Pat. No. 4,313,264, discloses a pair of devices used in conjunction with each other to aid the sight of the driver when coupling two vehicles together.
However, none of the prior art provides a means for a visual guide which is attached directly to the front or rear of a vehicle, more particularly to a license plate holder.
The primary object of this invention is to provide the driver of a vehicle with a means to determine the location of the front or rear of a vehicle as a visual aid while the driver is parking the vehicle.
Another object of this invention is to provide a parking guide for a driver which is easy and simple to install. This invention can be attached to an existing license plate holder without any other accessories. Only a screwdriver is needed to remove the existing screws of a license plate holder to attach this parking guide.
Further, it is an object to provide a parking guide which is inexpensive. And still further, it is an object of this invention to provide a parking guide which can be used without causing damage to the vehicle.
The visual guide for parking a vehicle in this invention is a telescoping antenna which is fastened to a mounting bracket. The mounting bracket attaches to the license plate holder of a vehicle by means of the same screws which hold the license plate in place.
Whereas all previously mentioned prior art require some modification or alteration to a vehicle in order to install a visual sighting device, this invention is very easy to install. One merely needs a screwdriver to attach this visual guide to an existing license plate holder.
Likewise, the prior art is expensive to purchase and install. Kuroda, U.S. Pat. No. 4,755,791, with its complex electronics would be very expensive. However, this invention comprising a bracket made of sheet metal and a telescoping antenna is relatively inexpensive.
Corner devices and those devices which are attached to and mounted on headlights require drilling on the body of the vehicle or other modifications to a vehicle in order to be installed. Therefore, if the visual sighting device is removed, there is damage to the vehicle still remaining. The device of this invention can be removed or transferred to another vehicle without leaving damage to the vehicle itself.
Moreover, those devices which are attached to and mounted on headlights (Stahl, U.S. Pat. No. 2,871,814, Greenfield, U.S. Pat. No. 2,753,439, and Nitsberg, U.S. Pat. No. 2,672,841) would not be applicable to vehicles which are manufactured today. Most vehicles manufactured today have a bulb which is inserted into a recessed headlamp cavity that serves as a headlight.
In order to install Grossman, U.S. Pat. No. 3,563,200, a trunk lid must be compressed. This could cause damage to and break the trunk-lid-to-body seal of a vehicle which would allow leaks to the trunk during rain.